The Inland Revenue

"The Inland Revenue" is the first of three loosely interconnected novellas written by Leslie Charteris and included in the eighth Saint book The Holy Terror published in 1932. It had previously been published in the magazine Thriller as "The Masked Menace."

Plot
Simon Templar finds himself up against an undefeatable enemy — the taxman — when Inland Revenue pursues him for back taxes after Templar publishes a novel. In order to come up with the money, Templar and his girlfriend, Patricia Holm, hatch a scheme to capture a blackmailer known as The Scorpion whose exploits have already led to a murder and several suicides. Templar's plan is complicated by a promise made to Inspector Claud Eustace Teal that he won't kill the villain this time. In this story it is established that his "Saints" gang of earlier books has been disbanded for some time and that Templar himself has (temporarily at least) given up the mantle of The Saint. Incidentally the above-mentioned novel that Simon Templar supposedly wrote is titled The Pirate and features a non-anglo super-brigand/hero named Mario. Charteris in his early years wrote a novel, The Bandit, which also features a non-anglo super-brigand/hero.

Television adaptation
"The Inland Revenue" was adapted as an episode of The Saint TV series. Retitled "The Scorpion" the episode first aired on 29 October 1964 as part of the third season.